Aloha Friday #16

It's Aloha Friday! As a reminder, Aloha Friday is a blogging tradition that originally started with Kailani over on An Island Life. I ask you a simple question, and you answer! It's a great way to interact with family and friends and to meet new bloggy friends along the way! To participate, just head over to Kailani's blog and follow the instructions. But...you do not have to link up to answer the question!

This week's question comes from my husband. I was feeling lazy last night and asked him what my Aloha Friday question should be! Here's what he came up with:

If you were a fruit, which fruit would you be?

After he said that, I moaned, "Then I have to answer that question!" He said I was a strawberry. I could agree with that! Small, bright and colourful - but sometimes a bit tart when you bite into it... Yep, that pretty much describes me! Now it's your turn! I can hardly wait to hear these today!

Aloha Friday #14

It's Aloha Friday! I've missed a few lately (again!), but I will always come back for more! As a reminder, Aloha Friday is a blogging tradition that originally started with Kailani over on An Island Life. I ask you a simple question, and you answer! It's a great way to interact with family and friends and to meet new bloggy friends along the way! To participate, just head over to Kailani's blog and follow the instructions. (But, you do not have to link up! You can just simply answer the question!)

Warm Spring weather is officially here and we're finally breaking out the shorts, capris and sandals around here! We recently took a trip to Texas and I treated my bare toes to a little bit of colour for the first time in a long time! Sara also wanted her toes painted the same as Mommy's, so we have matching toenails!

So, my question for today is:

What colour are your toenails painted? Do you like to be wild and crazy with your colours or stick with the more conservative shades?

Right now, mine are a pearly mauve colour. The most wild I ever get is my bright, sparkly red nail polish!

Aloha Friday #13

It's Aloha Friday! I've missed a few lately, but I'm back for more! As a reminder, Aloha Friday is a blogging tradition that originally started with Kailani over on An Island Life. I ask you a simple question, and you answer! It's a great way to interact with family and friends and to meet new bloggy friends along the way! To participate, just head over to Kailani's blog and follow the instructions.

My question for today is:

During Spring/Summer do you prefer longer hair where you can put it up or pull it back on hot days, or a short haircut that's easy, breezy everyday?

I desperately need a haircut - SOON! It's been 5 months since the last one! Obviously, it's grown a lot in that time frame. I can't decide if I want to chop it off short,or..... just get a trim, so I can do the whole ponytail/up-do thing when I want to. I'm going to call and make my appointment right now!

Aloha Friday #12

It's Aloha Friday! As a reminder, Aloha Friday is a blogging tradition that originally started with Kailani over on An Island Life. I ask you a simple question, and you answer! It's a great way to interact with family and friends and to meet new bloggy friends along the way! To participate, just head over to Kailani's blog and follow the instructions.

My question for the week:

What is your favourite bedtime snack?

I must admit, I almost always have a bedtime snack - unless dinner was really late or just lots of it! If I want something salty, it's definitely potato chips - my husband and I can polish off a whole bag in one evening! If the mood is sweet, then I really love Oreos dipped in milk!

Pay It Forward Giveaway

A couple of weeks ago, I was the proud winner of a "Pay It Forward Giveaway" hosted by my friend, Sarah M.! I received a wonderful CD, Steven Curtis Chapman's "All About Love." Thank you again, Sarah! Now, it's my turn to give!

Here's how it works:

1. Leave a comment to be entered into the giveaway. On February 28th, I will draw three names, and they will be the winners! I will let you know that you won and mail you the prize.

2. The three people who win, will host their own "Pay It Forward Giveaway" and continue sharing the love! Now, naturally, this prize need not be extravagant, just a simple treat in the mail! You can choose any prize you'd like to give.

The giveaway I chose is a kitchen scrub pad! Now, before you either start laughing, or scream and run the other way, let me assure you that this is no ordinary scrub pad! This has been a "must-have" in my kitchen for several years now. They're kind of hard to describe, but I'll do my best. The pad feels very scratchy and abrasive, but are absolutely safe to use on any surface, including non-stick finishes and flat top stovetops. Don't let that fool you, though. These little pads can scrub off the worst stuck-on messes - that's why I love them so much! They're made from plastic, that's "woven" into little loops, that look just like terry cloth. This makes it really easy to rinse them out. They do not hold gunk and I've never had one get stinky, even after months of use! I usually use mine for about 3 months each. So, I hope that convinces you that it's worth entering the giveaway! I think you'll fall in love once you get one! So, comment and let me know what you think!

Aloha Friday #10

It's time for Aloha Friday! The day I ask a simple question and you answer! Thanks to Kailani over on An Island Life for the original idea. If you'd like to participate, head on over to her blog, and follow the instructions! It's a great way to make new bloggy friends!

My question for this week:

What is your preferred method for cleaning up those crumbs on the kitchen floor? Broom and dust pan or hand vac?

I could not live without my Dustbuster! It's great because even the kids can use it. Although, now that they are 5 and almost 8, they aren't quite as excited about vacuuming for mom as when they were 2 and 3 years old! Not understanding that other people do not share the same feelings about hand vacs, I bought a Dustbuster for my mother-in-law a few years ago. I was sure I was doing her a favour and had rescued her forever from her broom and dust pan. The Dustbuster now proudly hangs in her (detached) garage!! The broom and dust pan are still just a few steps away in the coat closet! Oh well!

P.S. After receiving a few comments, let me just clarify... My Dustbuster is cordless and it sits in it's charger right next to my dining room table. I do not drag out a vac with a cord everytime I need to clean a mess!

Aloha Friday #9

It's Aloha Friday already! It came fast this week! So, you know the drill by now. I will ask a simple question and you give me your answer. It's kind of my day to take a break from blogging. Thanks to Kailani over on An Island Life for the original idea. If you'd like to link up and participate, head on over to her blog, and follow the instructions!

My question for the week:

Are you an early morning riser or a late night owl?

I have always been a night owl! I get that second wind around 10 p.m. and feel like I could stay up all night. I hardly ever go to bed before 11 p.m., but many nights I'm up even till midnight. I've actually been told that it's a problem with my adrenal glands, so I'm on some herbs from my herbalist to help get me to bed earlier and wake up happier. (Mornings are generally not my best time of the day!) Fortunately, I don't have to deal with children who get up super early. I trained my children from the beginning, to not get up early, so they're usually not up till 8 or 8:30 a.m.

Aloha Friday #8

It's time for Aloha Friday! Simply put - I ask a question and you answer it! Thanks to An Island Life for the original idea. If you want to participate, head on over to Kailani's blog and follow the instructions. It's a great way to meet new bloggy friends and to get your friends more involved in your blog!

This week's question:

Are you particular about what brands of toiletries you buy for yourself and your family? Do you always buy the same things, or do you like to try new things, or do you just get whatever's on sale?

I find myself doing a mixture of of all of those things! I'm definitely particular about my conditioner, but not so much about my shampoo. I just want it to smell nice! I'm always trying new toothbrushes (but usually the ones on sale), but the toothpaste we keep the same. I'm also fickle with my razors - I'm loyal for a season, but my skin seems to freak out after awhile, and I need to go on the hunt for the new perfect one! My new favourite is a men's razor - the Schick Quattro Titanium.

I hope all of you have a fantastic weekend!

January Giveaway

This month's giveaway comes from one of my favourite stores in the little town of Canmore, Alberta. Nestled in the Rocky Mountains, Canmore is a wonderful place to escape any time of the year. Until we moved 4 months ago, Canmore was just an hour's drive for us. I miss that. The store "O' Canada Soapworks" specializes in handmade soaps and other bath products. If you win the draw this month, you will receive one package of 'Cold and Flu' Mineral Bath Salt Soak and a bar of their 'Cocoa Butter Cream' soap. With the flu being so prevalent during the winter months, I thought someone could definitely find use for the Cold and Flu bath salts. (Not that I'm wishing a cold or the flu on anyone!) The soap is so wonderful! It's the only thing I'm able to use on my kids to keep them from itching their skin off when they get out of the bath or shower. If you get addicted to it, you can always order on-line!

To be entered into the draw, here's what I need from you. Leave a comment and tell me about the nicest thing anyone ever did for you while you were sick with a cold or flu! It's that easy! So, count your blessings and let me hear from you! I will make the draw on January 25th.

Snow Ice Cream

Saturday afternoon we did something I've never done before. We made ice cream with freshly fallen snow! There's over a foot on the ground now, so there's plenty to go around! I received a homeschool newsletter about a week ago and they had 4 different recipes for snow ice cream. This is the one I tried:

1 gallon of snow (I used a 5 qt. bowl to have space to mix)
1 cup sugar
1 cup cream or milk
1 tsp. vanilla
~Mix thoroughly and eat immediately!

Here we are mixing it up on the front steps! I mixed it outside to keep it from melting too quickly. Sara couldn't resist putting her fingers in for a taste!
Sky got the first official taste! Mmmm!

Sara agreed it was very yummy!

Sky decided to add a few sprinkles to his bowl of snow cream. Sara added some chocolate syrup, but let's just say that that picture didn't look nearly as appetizing!

I left the bowl out on the front porch all day and we were able to enjoy several bowls of our delicious concoction! (And yes, it actually did taste good - Joshua and I both enjoyed it!) Yesterday, it snowed ALL day long, so it's about time to whip up another bowl, I think!

Giveaway Results!

So, a few weeks ago, I decided (very spontaneously!) to do a little giveaway. Because it was so very spontaneous, I didn't plan very well, and the busyness of Christmas and New Year kind of got in the way of bringing everything to a conclusion. If you didn't have a chance to enter, I apologize for not making a bigger deal about it all. I asked a question, which was buried in my post "Christmas Party."

The question was, "Do you know the country of origin of the poinsettia?" There were 4 ladies who answered the question and they were all correct! The poinsettia came from Mexico! This was one new thing I learned this Christmas! I had never heard that before.

O.K., so a few days ago, I put the names in a bowl, and Sky drew one out for me. The winner is....Markay! Congratulations! (Markay, if you could send me your address through a message on Facebook, that would be great!)

And, this is what Markay won! A mini stocking from BeautiControl (I am a consultant, but I don't do much with it right now). It contains 4 minis from last year's Christmas collection, Naughty and Nice. There is Bodylicious Bathing Creme, Snow Angel Body Sorbet (my personal favourite!), Glitzy Body Shimmer, and Mistletoe Kisses Linen Mist.

This year, one of my blogging goals it to have a contest/giveaway for each month. Maybe that's a little ambitious for a novice like me, so we'll see how it goes! Stay tuned for the January giveaway - I'll post the details later this week!

Aloha Friday #5

Today's Aloha Friday took me by surprise! I can't believe it's that time of the week already! I'm going to ask a simple question and all you have to do is answer it! Thanks to An Island Life for the original idea. If you want to participate, head on over there and follow the instructions! It's a fun way to make new bloggy friends!

This week's question is multiple choice:

Which holiday beverage is your favourite?

a. Eggnog
b. Hot chocolate
c. Wassail (hot spiced apple cider)
d. Holiday lattes at Starbucks (if so, which one?)
e. Other

I think mine would have to be the Gingerbread Latte at Starbuck's! Grande, de-caf, half-sweet, no whipped cream! (It is now called the Gingersnap Latte - get it without the cookie sprinkles - even the guy at Starbuck's told me they were disgusting!)

Aloha Friday #3

It's time for Aloha Friday! I ask a simple question and you answer! If you want to participate, head on over to An Island Life and follow the instructions.

My question for this Friday:

What are the scents of the hand soaps you have in your bathrooms and/or by the kitchen sink?

I realized this morning that we have a very "smelly" house - in a good way, I hope! We have 4 bathrooms and 1 kitchen sink, so the scents in our home are: Sparkling Peach in the main floor half bath, Enchanted Orchid in Sara's bathroom, Warm Vanilla Sugar in the master bathroom, Cherry Blossom in Sky's bathroom, and Melaleuca's Original anti-bacterial scent in the kitchen. (Yes, we shop at Bath and Body Works!)

Aloha Friday

I'm trying something new today! I'm going to ask you a simple question, and you answer it! It's called Aloha Fridays, and the original idea came from the blog "An Island Life". My good friend, Jennifer, from Florida started participating in Aloha Fridays and I've enjoyed reading all the answers to the questions she has asked. If you want to participate, just click on the link to "An Island Life" and read the instructions!

My question for this Friday is:

Do you have a Saturday (or Sunday) morning breakfast tradition with your family? If so, what is it?

My husband used to make Baked Oatmeal one of the weekend mornings, but lately we've taken to drinking protein shakes for breakfast, so that's kind of on hold for now!

It's Been 1 Year!!

Today is a very special day! It's the one year anniversary of my blog!! I can't believe it's actually only been a year. So much has happened in one year, it makes my head spin to think about it! Here are some of the big ones.... We went on an Alaskan cruise with the whole family in July, we moved to a new house and city in September, I started babysitting for the Merrett family a few weeks later, we started Grade 1 with Sara in October, and Joshua and I went to Mexico in March! Wow! You can read my very first post by clicking here. I was so excited to get those first 5 comments! And now, 80+ posts later, I have a whole new blogging family now and I absolutely love it! I love it that people actually read what I have to say. And I love comments even more! Thank you, everyone, for making my blog so special! You all have been such a wonderful support team as we all share life together. So, I thought of the perfect way to celebrate this momentous occasion. Drum roll please.... I want to get a record number of comments on this 1st anniversary post! If you read my blog, even if it's only occasionally, I want to hear from you. ALL of you! (If you read this from Facebook, click under the title where it says "view original post," and post from my actual blog.) I want to know 3 things about you when you leave your comment.

1. How did you find out about my blog?

2. Where are you from?

3. What is your favourite ice cream? (Or if you're ambitious, tell me what your favourite post was this year!)

So, ready, set, GO! I can't wait to hear from you!

Happy Leap Day!

Joshua did some math for me this morning. (Cause he's good at that sort of thing and I'm terrible at it!) He figured out that there are about 7 people out of every 10,000 that have birthdays on February 29th. So, I have a question for you. Do any of you know someone who was born on a Leap Day? If you do, you HAVE to post a comment and tell me about that person and how old they are today. I knew a little girl once who had this special birthday. I can't remember her name, but she was a baby when I met her family. I think she would be 16 this year.

Another interesting thing I heard about Leap Day today. (Also from Joshua - he hears weird things at work!) Apparently, if a single guy gets a marriage proposal on February 29th, he HAS to say yes! There are so many things wrong with that, but that's what "they" say! Has anyone else heard other weird Leap Day folklore?

Hope you enjoy the day! It's Friday, so that should make it a great day for everybody, regardless of the holiday!

Science Experiment Answer!

Time for the big reveal! See, I knew I would get some comments with bribery! :-) All of you were right in saying that the water freezes. The actual result we got, was that the water instantly turned into a cloud of vapor! Quite spectacular! (Mom gets the prize for being the closest!) Only a few drops hit the ground, but I think that if I were a stronger person, and tossed the water higher, nothing would have made it to the ground. Fortunately, I boiled enough water to do it twice, because we all wanted to see it again! Simple, but fun! The simple things have always amused me - I guess I'm still a kid at heart! Did anyone else try it yet?